Binder tensioning tool



July 30, 1940- A. MARcHEv BINDER TENSIONING TOOL @@NQQ NN QR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 bwl ...WN

July 30, =1940 A. MARcHEv BINDER TENSIONING TOOL Filed Feb. l0, 1939 we@ WMM July 30, 1940. A. MARcHEv BINDER TENsIoNING Tool.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. l0, 1939 July 30, 1940. A, MARCHEV l l `2,209,631

BINDER TENsIoNING TooL Filed Feb. 1o. 1939- 4 sheets-sheet 4 g 72 6 i HQE? d Patented July 30, 1940 BINDER TENSIONING TOOL Alfred Marcher, La Grange, In., assigner te Signode Steel Strapping Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application February 1o, 1939, serial-Ne. 255.612

12 Claims.

My invention relates to binder tensioning tools.

More particularly it relates to a tool for tensioning bundle-binders of the flat strap variety.

A11 object of the invention is to provide an improved tool which, although not limited to such use, is particularly adapted to tension binder strap about small incompressible packages.

Another object is to provide a tool having a strap-edge type of gripper which is an imp-rovementupon the one set forth in the patent application of Albert F. Pagel, Serial No. 245,628, filed December 14, 1938.

Another object is to provide a. tool with improved arrangements for releasing the strap grippers.

A further object is to provide a tool With an improved arrangement for severing the completed bundle encircling loop from the source of strap supply.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tool, showing it resting in a typical position on a package being bound;

Fig. 2 is a top plan with the actuating handle in section;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the strap edge gripper;

Fig. fl is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the strap edge gripper;

Fig. 'I is a section on the line 'I-'I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the portion of the tool shown in section in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line lil-I0 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line of Fig. 1;

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan similar toFig. 3, showing the strap edge gripper arranged to accommodate a narrower strap, and

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the operation of binding a package.

In general the tool comprises a foot A, equipped with a strap-edge gripper and a rack and in use normally resting on and supported by the package P being bound, a relatively movable carriage B carried by the rack and provided with another strap gripper and mechanism for propelling it along the rack, a tensioning handle C for actuating the propelling mechanism and controlling the strap gripper of the carriage B and a gripper control handle D for controlling the strap-edge gripper of the foot A.

The foot A has a relatively at base I5 which is provided with a strap channel I6 in,rv its under side or lower face. of the strap ends in channel I6 during the tensioning operation is indicated by the dash lines. A xed gripper member I1 is located vat one side of channel I6 and a movable .gripper member I8 is located at the other side. oi the ,chann'el. ,op r posite gripper I1. These twogripper `members are arranged to grip a strap end-portion edgevvise -between them so as to anchor it. Q j'.

Fixed gripper I1 preferably comprises a--at steel plate having hardened teeth or serrations I9 in its front face and being rigidly secured in a recess 20 of base I5 by set screws,2|.. .'I'hus,; the insert fixed gripper member Il can be readily removed and replaced should occasion require and, by substitutingplates of differentlengths, so as to vary the distance the gripping edge projects into channel I6 toward gripper member I8, the tool may be modified to act upon straps of different widths with a denite invariable limit of travel for the movable gripper member. Base I5 provides a seat for a rack bar 28,-the bar being rigidly anchored to the base by a cap 21 and cap screws 28 that thread into the base. As previously mentioned, rack bar 26 carries the movable gripper carriage B.

Gripper carriage B includes a frame having parallel upstanding bearing flanges 3B, 3| and a F r laterally projecting gripper foot 32. It also v,has a laterally projecting curved flange 33 in the inner curve of which is rotatably seated a pivoted gripper member 34 which, preferably is toothed or serrated on its lowerend and is pivoted by a shaft 35 that hasv bearingsv in flanges 33 and 3|, as shown most clearly in Fig. 10. The relation between gripper foot 32 and pivotal gripper member 34 is such that, .by movements of gripper member 34, they maybe separated 'to provide a laterally open gap for the insertion of a strap end portion and caused to approach in order to anchor the strap end portion by a flatwise or surface clamping action.

Shaft 35 is retained in place by a pair of nuts 36 and 31 which thread upon its op-posite ends and bear against flanges 30 and 3|, respectively. Rotation of shaft 35 causes rotation of pivoted gripper 34 and the shaft is in turn rotated by a gripper actuating nger 38, as Will be hereinafter explained. The rotation together of gripper 34, shaft 35 and nger 38 may be eiiected in various ways. I prefer to provide the shaft with squared portions 39 and 40 which t correspondingly In Fig. 3 the locationmofbne y squared holes through gripper 34 and nger 38, as shown most clearly in Fig. 10.

Tensioning handle C, the lower end of which is preferably bifurcated into two spaced parallel sections 45 and 46, is pivoted to and between anges 30-3I of carriage B on a pivot screw 4l. A pinion 48 is loosely journaled on screw 4'I between the bifurcated sections 45 and 46 of handle C and in a position to mesh with the teeth of rack bar 26. An actuating pawl 49 is likewise located between the bifurcation-sections 45 and 46 of handle C, being xed to a shaft 50 journaled yin sections 45 and 46 and positioned to mesh with thel teeth of pinion 48. A spring-pressed plunger 5| carried by handle C bears upon the rear end of pawl 49 yieldingly to bias the forward end thereof toward pinion 48 so that rotation of handle C about its axis 41 in a clockwise direction, as shown in Figs. l and '7, causes clockwise rotation of the pinion 48and consequently movement of carriage B` toward the right or away from the foot A; whereas, upon rotation of handle C in the reverse or counterclockwis'e direction, the pawl 49 can ride idly over the teeth of pinion 48 in the reverse direction. A pair of spring biased holding pawls 5| and 52 are pivotally mounted on shaft 35, being provided with teeth 53 and 54, respectively, to engage the teeth of pinion 48 to prevent reverse rotation thereof. By using two holding pawls, one arranged half a tooth ahead of the other, as shown most clearly in Fig. 7, the holding effect thereof is such that the pinion is retained on an advance of half the distance between teeth and thereby closer adjustments of strap tension are possible.

Pawls 5| and 52 have upwardly extending projections or tails 55 and 56, respectively, which are in position to be struck and operated by pawl 49 when the tensioning handle C is moved to its extreme counterclockwise position. Thus when handle C is oscillated through a limited arc, it rotates pinion 48 step-by-step and, in consequence, advances carriage B step-by-step along rack bar 26 (reverse movements being prevented by holding pawls 5| and 52), resulting in a gradual separation of foot A and carriage B and of the strap grippers carried thereby.

This separation of the grippers tensions the bundle encircling loop of strap binder, as will be presently explained. In order to provide for a quick slack take-up, I prefer to provide shaft 5D with a small lever or finger 5`| whereby pawl 49 may be raised from engagement with pinion 48 to permit the carriage to be shoved along rack bar 26 in the gripper separation direction without the necessity of oscillating tensioning handle C. The tail of gripper control finger 38 is located where it will be engaged by handle C shortly after movement of the handle in a counterclockwise direction has caused the engagement of actuating pawl 4S with holding pawl 5| and 52 to free the pinion-and rack bar-from the eifect of those pawls.

Further movement of the handle C after it has contacted linger acounter-clockwise as viewed in Figs. l and 2, clockwise as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9-will result in the rotation of shaft 35 and pivoted gripper member 34 to swing the gripper member away from foot 32 and thereby release the strap end portion anchored therebetween. Finger 38 is biased by a spring-pressed plunger 58 in a direction to cause the rotation of shaft 35 to bring gripper 34 into engagement with the upper surface of the strap to cause it to be clamped against the underlying foot 32 to anchor it.

Gripper control handle D controls the action of movable strap-edge gripper member I8 through a rod 6G. Handle D is pivoted by a screw 6I to a bracket 62 rigidly secured to rack bar 26 near its outer end. I prefer also to provide the end of rack bar 26 with `a handle 63. Normally gripper control handle D is biased by a spring-pressed plunger |54 to its upper position, i. e., maximum separation from handle 63; but it may be rotated about its pivot 6I by the closing or squeezing action of the operators hand, to bring its outer end closer to handle 63.

Rod 66 is slidably supported at its outer end in a guideway in bracket 62 and is connected to handle D by a pivot pin 65 that extends from the rod through a slot 66 in bracket 62 and into the lower or inner end of handle D. Rod 66 extends loosely through carriage B and a seat in base I5'and carries a pin 'I0 at its inner end. Pin 'I6 fits into a slot '|I of a bell crank lever '12. Lever I2 is pivoted to foot A by a headed stud I3, the stud being secured against displacement by a cotter pin 'I4 (see particularly Figs. 2 and 5).

Bell crank lever I2 is pivotally connected to strap-edge gripper member I8 by means of a pin 15. The relation between iixedpivot 'I3 and the movable gripper blade carrying pivot 'I5 should be such that as the bellcrank lever I2 is rocked to carry the gripper blade I8 toward the strap, the strap edge is engaged slightly before the pivot 'I5 reaches a line through the center of pivot *I3 and perpendicular to the strap edge. With this arrangement the movable edge gripper is self-tightening when it has engaged the strap edge, i. e., the grip increases as the tension on the strap increases.

When grip control handle D is squeezed toward handle 63, rod 66 is moved toward the left as viewed in Figs. l, 2 and 3, with the result that bell crank lever 'I2 is rocked about its pivot I3 to withdraw or retract movable gripper member I8 further away from fixed gripper member |I and thereby open the relatively stationary gripper for the reception of a strap end portion. When handle D is released its biasing springpressed plunger 64 automatically separates it from handle 63, with the result that rod is moved to the right and bell crank lever 'I2 is rotated about its pivot 'I3 to cause the movable strap-edge gripper member I8 to approach the fixed edge-gripper member I'| and clamp by edgewise pressure a strap endv portion interposed therebetween. A downwardly directed flange 'I6 of bell crank lever 'I2 is adapted to strike the edge of base I5 to limit the extent to which gripper I8 can approach gripper By pivoting the movable edge gripper member I8, its active face will automatically adjust itself to parallelism with the strap edge and thereby insure a maximum of gripping contact with the edge.

In order to insure that a good edge grip is obtained upon the binder strap, that the strap end portion to be thus gripped is properly located between the relatively movable edge engaging jaws, that the edgewise pressure does not buckle the strap longitudinally and thereby weaken the clutch upon the strap, and that the tool can be readily separated from the tensioned bundle encircling strap loop, I have found it advantageous to bevel or taper the confronting strap edge en- -the bundle to render-the gaging faces of the two edge gripper members I'l and I8, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5.

I have found from actual experience that good results are obtained' by sloping the active face of gripper Il about fteen to twenty degrees from the vertical; and to curve the active face of gripper I8 on about a one-eighth inch radius. This arrangement provides, in eieot, a tong-like piEk-up for the strap, insures that the strap remains between the jaws, insures, particularly if the strap begins to buckle outwardly, that the strap is pulled back against the bottom of the channel through base I5 and thereby reinforced to resist the'buckling tendency and yet, when it becomes desirable to remove the tool after the joint is made, the ljawsdo not sufciently underlie the strap'edges either to prevent ready disengagement from the-.strap or 'to interpose enough of the tool between the binder loop and tensioned loop objectionably loo-se after the tool has been removed.

The strap breaker yor kinkenwhereby the run of strap from the bundle encircling loop to the source of strap supply is readily severed, com -l prises a pivotally mounted tongue 80 which 1s hinged on a bolt 8l anchored in a socket provided in rack 26 andcap 21.. Tongue 80 has a strap-breaker edge 82 that lies along and just above a complementary edge 83 of the base I5. The movement of tongue 80 about its pivot 8| to separate the strap-breaker edges 82-83 is limited by the rearwardly projecting heel 84 coming into contact with an 'upstanding ledge 85 of base I5. The strap end portion held lby thegripper of carriage B is trained over base I5 between the breaker edges 82-83 during the binder tensioning operation. Because the tongue 80 is freely pivoted it oiers no appreciable resistance to the travel of the strapduring the tensioning operation. The better practice is to make the joint between the overlapping binder end portions in advance of (i. e;, at the left as viewed in Fig. 1) and as closely'as convenient to the breaker edges 82-83. After the jointis made the operator can tilt the entire tool upwardly about the breaker edges 82--83`as afulcrum whereupon, since the movement of tongue 80 is positively limited to a small amount-'by'. the'engagement of its heel 84 upon ledge 85, a sharp bend or kink is made in the strap portion thereby (which, -by the way, is the portion extending from the joint to the source of strap supply) resulting in the strap being readily broken.

Fig. 12 shows how the edge type gripper I1-I8 may be changed so that, with the `same ultimate movement of the movable gripper I8, Ya width of strap which is not within that movement may be gripped. This maybe accomplished by substituting a longer gripper plate I'I for the shorter plate I1.

Briefly reviewed, the operation of the tool is as follows, reference being; particularly made to Fig. 13. I y

The operator encircles the `package P with a loop of strap taken from the SourceS- which conveniently may be a coil-' -and overlaps the loop end portions S'S. By squeezing grip control handle'D towardjhandle 463 .with the hand holding the tool, the operator opens the strapedge gripper and with the other hand holdingthe overlapping strap portions S-"S"k loosely together he is readily able to locate the lower strap end portion in channel I6 between edge grippers l1-I 8. He now releases handle D, whereupon the grippers` I'I-I8 automatically-close-upon the edges of strap portion-S" to-grip it'edgewise.

`With carriageB as close aspossible to -foot i A and with handle v C moved as far as possible counter-clockwise-to open surface gripper 32-. 34-the supplyend portion S? of the strap loop is positioned between the gripper members of the movable carriage and tensioning handle C -is.rev leased so that the spring-pressed biasing plunger 58 may cause shaft 40 vto be rocked to move the pivoted gripper 34 down upon the upper surface of strap portion S and anchor that strap portion against foot 32. Now the tool is ready to tension the strap and, in effect, shrink the package encircling loop about the package.

The operator now oscillates tensioning handle C to cause they carriage B to move step-by-step along rack `bar 26 away from foot A with the result that grippers I1I8 and 32--34 are separated to pull the-strap loop taut about the bundle. When the desired tension is attained the strap loopfend portions are joined in any appropriate manneras previously stated, preferably immediately in front of breaker edges 82-83-to render the tensioned loopv permanent.

After thejoint is made the surface gripper 32-34 is first released, by swinging the tensioning handle C toward and against finger 38 to raise gripper 34; the edge gripper I1-I8 is then released, by squeezing handle D toward handle 63; next surface gripper 32-1-,34 is again brought into action, by releasing handle C to enable the biasing spring of plunger 58 to rotate gripper 34 into contact with the strap portion S which is still connected to the source S; and finally the entire tool is tilted-preferably by handle (i3-about the breaker edges 82-83 as a fulcrum to kink and break the loop from the source. Gripper 32-34 may now again be released to free the tool entirely from the strap and condition it for another tensioning operation.

Having thus illustrated and explainedV an embodiment `of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows: v 1. A binderestrap tensioning tool comprising a foot adapted to rest Aupon the package being bound, said foot having a pair of relatively movable strap-edge gripper membersy at its unde-r side and a carriage support projecting laterally therefrom, a carriage movable along said carriage support,; said carriage having a pair of relatively movable gripper members, Va tensioning handle pivotally mounted on the carriage, operative connections betweenV the tensioning handle and the carriage whereby oscillations of the handle advance the carriage along said support to effect relative movement between the -gripper members associated withthe carriage and the gripper members associated with the foot, an edge-gripper release handle carried by the carriage support, and a release mechanism for the gripper members associated with the carriage.

2. A binder-strap tensioning tool comprising a foot adapted Vto rest upon the package being bound, said'foot having a pair of relatively movable strap-edgegripper members at its under side and a carriage support projecting laterally therefrom, a carriage movable along said carriage support, said carriage having a pair `of relatively movable gripper members, a tensioning handle pivotally mounted on the carriage, operative connections between the tensioning handle and the carriage whereby oscillations of the handle advance rthe carriage along said support to effect relative movement between the gripper members associated with the carriage and the gripper members associated with the foot, `an edge-gripper release handle carried by the carriage support, and a release mechanism for the gripper members associated with the carriage, said release mechanism being operable by the tensioning handle.

3. A binder-strap tensioning tool comprising a foot for resting upon the package being bound, said foot having a pair of relatively movable strap-edge gripper members therebelow and a rack projecting laterally therefrom, a carriage slidably mounted on the rack and having a pair of relatively movable strap gripper members mounted thereon, a tensioning handle pivotally carried by the carriage, operative connections between the tensioning handle and the rack and one of the gripper members associated with the carriage whereby the tensioning handle may propel the carriage along the rack and may effect release of the gripper members associated therewith, a grip control handle carried by the rack, and operative connections between the last mentioned handle and -one of the gripper members associated with the foot to eiect the release thereof.

4. In a binder-strap tensioning tool the combination of a foot for resting on a package being bound and having a strap channel in the lower face of the foot, a stationary gripper member secured to the foot and having an active face projecting laterally into the channel to contact the edge of a strap lying irl the channel, a bell crank lever pivoted to the foot on the side of the channel opposite the stationary gripper members, and a gripper member pivoted to the bell crank lever and having an active face projecting laterally into the channel to confront the stationary gripper and contact the other edge of a strap lying in the channel.

5. In a binder-strap tensioning tool the combination of a foot for resting on a package being bound and having a strap channel in the lower face of the foot, a rack projecting from the foot, a gripper movably carried on the rack, a stationary gripper member secured to the foot and having an active face projecting laterally into the channel to contact the edge of a strap lying in the channel, a bell crank lever pivoted to the foot on the side of the channel opposite the stationary gripper member, a gripper member pivoted to the bell crank lever and having an active face projecting laterally into the channel to confront the stationary gripper and contact the other edge of a strap lying in the channel, ond means to cause the gripper on the rack to move therealong away from the gripper members associated with the foot.

6. In a binder-strap tensioning tool the combination of a foot for resting` on a package being bound and having a strap channel in the lower face of the foot, a rack projecting from the foot, a gripper movably carried on the rack, a stationary gripper member secured to the foot and having an active face projecting laterally into the channel to contact the edge of a strap lying in the channel, a bell crank lever pivoted to the foot on the side of the channel opposite the stationary gripper members, a gripper member pivoted to the bell crank lever and having an active face projecting laterally into the channel to confront the stationary gripper and contact the other edge of a strap lying in the channel,

means to cause the gripper on the rack to move therealong away from the gripper members, andA a grip control handle mounted on the rack and connected to the bell crank lever to move the same to actuate the gripper member pivoted thereto.

7. A. binder-strap tensioning tool comprising a foot to rest on a package being bound, a gripper associated with the foot to anchor one end of a binder strap thereto, a rack extending laterally from the foot, a carriage movably mounted on the rack, a gripper for the other end of a binder strap carried by the carriage, a tensioning handle pivoted to the carriage, means for translating oscillations of the tensioning handle into movement of the carriage along the rack, a strap breaker tongue pivoted to the foot and having an edge overlying a strap trained over the foot, and a positive stop for limiting the movement of the breaker tongue when the tool is rotated thereabout so that the strap is sharply bent at the end of the breaker tongue.

8. In a binder-strap tensioning tool the combination of a foot adapted to rest on a package, said foot having a strap channel in its under side, a stationary gripper at one side of the chan nel, a movable gripper at the opposite side of the channel, a movable member carried by the foot and carrying the movable gripper, a rack extending laterally from the foot, a carriage movable along the rack, strap grippers carried by the carriage, a grip control lever pivoted to the rack at a point thereon removed from the foot, and a rod interconnecting the grip lever and the bell crank lever whereby the grip lever can control the movable gripper at the foot.

9. A gripper for holding a package encircling binder-strap -comprising two gripping members which are relatively movable in the flatwise plane of a portion of the strap interposed between them so as to clamp the strap edgewise between them, the two gripping members having strap-edge engaging faces that diverge in a direction away from the package being bound.

10. A gripper for holding a package encircling hinder-strap comprising two gripping members which are relatively movable in the atwise plane of a portion of the strap interposed between them so as to clamp the strap edgewise between them, the two gripping members having strapedge engaging faces that diverge in a direction away from the package being bound, one face lying in a plane and the other being curved.

l1. A binder-strap tensioning tool wherein a foot for resting on a package being bound carries a fixed and a movable gripper for anchoring one end portion of the strap between them and also carries an elongated carriage support having a carriage movable therealong and which carriage has a xed and a movable gripper for gripping the other end portion of the strap, characterized by the fact that the carriage support carries a gripper control handle, and that operative connections exist between said handle andthe movable gripper carried by the foot to cause operation of" the handle to actua-te the movable gripper carried by the foot topermit reception of a strap in gripping position.

l2. A binder-strap tensioning tool wherein a foot for resting on a package being bound carries an elongated carriage support having a carriage movable therealong and which carriage has a pair of grippers for engaging one end portion of a binder strap, characterized by the fact that the foot has a strap receiving channel on its under side and that there is combined therewith, a pair of grippers on opposite sides of the channel to engage the edges of the other end portion of a strap, a lever carrying one of the grippers so that it may be moved in parallel relation toward and. away from the other gripper,

a spring biasing the lever to move the gripper carried thereby toward the other gripper, anda gripper control handle for moving the lever against the bias of the spring to separate the grippers.

ALFRED MARCHEV. 

